Kyle Kandal Bicycle Safety Rodeo returns

Saddle up

STANDISH — Balanced Medical Supply and the Arenac County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting the Kyle Kandal Bicycle Safety Rodeo on May 2 at the Standish Elementary School starting at 1 p.m.

“What the kids do is they go through obstacle courses, they learn stopping and starting,” said Kim Kroczaleski, Balanced Medical Supply. “The Arenac County Sheriff’s Department will be doing bike inspections.”

According to Kroczaleski, the rodeo, which is held in the memory of Kyle Kandal, a Standish resident killed in a bike accident in 1998, is for children ages four to 10. She says children can ride bikes with training wheels at the rodeo, however, tricycles are not allowed.

And because the event is free, Kroczaleski says attendance varies each year.

“We’ve had anywhere from 40 to 100 kids,” she said, adding because the number of participants changes year to year, the ending time for the rodeo also varies, so parents may want to stick around. “We do encourage the parents to attend.”

Besides Balanced Medical and the sheriff’s office, there will be other groups helping out with the bike rodeo.

“The Michigan Milk Producers will have milk for the kids. The Arenac County Farm Bureau will give the kids apples,” Kroczaleski said, adding the American Red Cross will also help out in encouraging safer riding. “They’re (American Red Cross) going to have little first aid kits for the kids.”

A reward will be in store for one lucky child at the rodeo as well, Kroczaleski added.

“We do give away a free bike,” she said. “That’s the big deal.”

Kroczaleski also says that rodeo participants need helmets, and if they don’t have one, the event’s hosts will provide them with a helmet.

For more information, and to register a child for the Kyle Kandal Bicycle Safety Rodeo prior to the event, call 989-846-6328.